Manufacture of stockings and the like



Dec. 13, 1949 J. GARRIC 2,491,173

MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept, 11, 1947 IN V E A 70/? Jean armz Patented Dec. 13, 1949 MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS AND THE LIKE Jean Garric, Troyes,.France Application September 11, 1947, Serial No. 773,473 In France May l l, 1947 This invention relates to the manufacture of stockings, half-stockings and similar articles.

It is known that the shape of a womans foot is such that the length of the stocking, when it is measured along the rearward middle line, that is to say along the seaming line for the stockings manufactured on fiat knitting frames, must be in excess of about ten to twelve centimeters with respect to the length of the front middle linethat follows the center line of the instep.

Besides, it is known that this result is readily achieved in the manufacture of the narrowed stockings having a french or conventional or square heel that are knitted on fiat frames and the selvedges of which are thereafter assembled, forming thus the rearward middle line, this result being a consequence of the insertion, on each side of both selvedges, of a rectangle of about five by six centimeters, that is intended for fitting the wearers heel, which in fact brings about an increase by ten to twelve centimeters of the length of the rearward middle line.

It is further known that in the simplified method of manufacture of the so-called American heel or round heel type that consists in effecting in succession widenings and narrowings in the width of the stocking blank, between the leg and the foot, there is actually obtained a certain knitted surface adapted to fit the wearer's heel, but nevertheless, no supplementaly length is produced in the hind part. It is recognized that it results therefrom avery serious drawback, namely that in wear, the heel ofthe stocking has a propensity to slip under the wearers foot, which is incomfortable and brings about quick deformation and wear out of the stocking.

The invention has for its object to allow, in a relatively simple manner, the provision of the desired difference in length between the rear and the front middle lines of the stocking, without it being necessary to change the number of loops of certain rows as is done with the conventional or square heel.

To this end, the subject matter of the invention is an improvement in the manufacture of stockings and like articles, this improvement being characterised by the fact that, for obtaining a length of stocking greater in the hind part than in the front part, there is given to the loops of one and the same row, in the desired number of loop rows that are distributed over the whole length or a part of the length of the stocking, a greater length in the part intended to form the hind part of the stocking than in the part intended to form the front part, this being efiected 2 Claims. (Cl. 66-82) without any interruption of any row in the mc-. dian or central part of the stocking.

In the case of narrowed stockings that are knitted flat on straight bar knitting machines,

- the improvement will be brought about by varying the loop length, preferably in a progressive manner, in every one of the loop rows concerned, by knitting shorter loops in the center, and longer loops about the selvedge edges. r For putting into practice the improvement on a straight bar knitting machine of the cotton type, means, to which preference should pre-' sumably, be given, consist essentially in trans forming the loop control mechanism or device through a modification of the profiles of the cam of the loop length regulating motion and of the splicing cam segments, so as to achieve, in the loop formation of each of the loop rows concerned, that the needle: bar should be brought progressively nearer the yarn sinking throats of the sinkers while couliering from one of the selvedge edgestowards the center line of the stocking blank, which results in a progressive diminution of the length of the loops of the row from the selvedge edge up to the center line, and then, that the said needle bar should be moved away with respect to the said throats from the center line towards the other selvedge edge, which results in a progressive lengthening of the loops;

For a better understanding of the invention and; at the same time, by way of example of embodiments, these various means are hereinafter described, and diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows the usual regulating motion controlling the loop length.

Fig. 2 shows, at an enlarged scale, the operating cam of the regulating motion with the modifications added thereto for obtaining a differential progressive loop length changing.

Fig. 3 shows the splicing cam segments that are also modified for the same purpose.

Referring to Fig. 1, illustrating the mechanism for regulating the loop length in a fiat knitting frame of the Cotton type, I is the sinker head, provided at the bottom with the presser edge; in the grooves or slots of this head slide the sinkers 2 shut in by the top 3 of the same head; over this top lies the verge plate 4, against the edge of which the backs 2 of the sinkers 2 abut during the sinking of the loops.

5 is the needle bar, carrying the needles 6, and is swung through hinges 1 comprising fork-joints which are supported by the arms 22 keyed on the needle bar shaft 23. To the needle bar 5 is imthat is keyed; on, the-camshaft: 5}:- a-.$Pring; (13 1 shown) keeps a rollenl't, carried by thearegulating, lever IT, in contact with the cam Hi, this cam roller [6 acting upon the presser lever I! through,

the intermediary of the regulating, shaftggiand of the adjustable contact device I85 It is known that in the straight bar knitting machine of the Cotton type, the lengthlofrtheloop 15 is determined by the relative situatign of the, sinkers 2 and of the needles 6 in the course. ,of'the sinking of the loop. The situation of the sinkers 2 is governed by the verge plate 4, as the backs 2% of the sinkers abut against the edge of the verge plate. The situation ofitheneedlebar;isdeter mined by the .cam 0,1- the regulating; motion, With, these machines, the; line. of: the sinkers and that. of the needles are straight; and: a allel, to, each other and; their mutual; situation, remains unaltered during the wholev sinking; operation, wing-tothe fact thatthecam, H; of the; re ulate ing, motion. has a, concentric; profile ABC; durina that time.

In order to obtain, in-the practicakembodhnents of the improvements; according to the invention, a progressive variationof the loop length, the pro; file .or contour offthe: cam-.of -the regulating motion. is changed to A 3 10* (seeliig. 2'); and othrpwnoff" IE, to 0 Thus, theneedlgbar twillaeomeproe gressively nearer, in the coursegof the sinking, when couliering fromtheselvedge edgeitowards the. center, the. camshaft: rotating-from A to-.. 18

which will cause a progressive shortening Ofiflthfl loop, a reverse result: being. obtained during the rotation from BA. to. C'. The: difference in. the maximum length ofvtheloopwill belaafunctionof'. the eccentricity BB or 00.

Thenormal loop-.lengthregulation being thus.

modified, it-shouldbe-also necessaryto modify-the loop length regulationfor the spliced-sections. It known that: for -the! splicing, the camshaft [5' bears segments I9:andezli having concentric-outer edges AD and CE (Fig. 3'), that are-.displacediin their plane for following thechanges in the pro-- file of the splicing-bymans ofdirecting grooves or slots 2 i The outenprofiles A513 and C =E of-:the-

" Number cam segments l9 and 20 are offset with respect to the axis of the shaft l5 by the same amount 00 as for the normal loop length regulation and the groove 2| directing them through their displacement is similarly concentric with 0 instead of 0. Thus the mutual situation of the splicing cam segments l9 and 20 and the regulating cam l4 rethe; same, whateven-be the profile of the splicedzportion. Consequently, during knitting of spliced or of ordinary portions alike, the loops will be progressively longer about the selvedge edges thanin the center of the stocking.

fclaim:

1. In a knitting machine of the Cotton type, the combination with a needle bar of regulating motion mechanismfor actuatin the needle bar and comprising a cam shaft, a regulating motion cam mounted on the shaft, a cam follower and operativeconnections between the cam follower and the needle bar whereby the needle bar is mov d-. na s rq n e w hfihe profile f the a t portion of: he ca ofile h ontro sthe ositicnq theneeq eian duriass nkinebein ec en ri a sh fta o o prod c in the for:

V mationgf each row of loops on the needle bar, a, nr sres i s p oa o the ed e a ear ro,

y rn sin g hma s: a the sinkers n; couliering from one of the selvage edgestowards; thecenter line which, results in a progressive shortening; of successive loops and, thereafter,

lzrqdu e a p r e move e t o h ne bar-farther away, fromv the yarn sinking throats of; the sinkersw-hen' coulierin from the center line tothe other selvage edge whichresults in a,

center from 0, which .is the=centerof thecan shaft' 8-,. ma n h n Q fi fi IQOPS- 2, Mechanism accordi ng to clairnl, whereby the; n o s o he S i n am egm n s. re i r y, s centrw Qt thec m s a t-v J GARRIC; K E RENQES IIE L The following references are of recordi in: the fileof: this patent:

TATES- Name Date 'l;03.(l,'100; MacAdams; June 18; 1912: 1,213,333: Gecka. Jan. 23; 1911:. 1,346,136 Schwab July- 13, 1920' 1;67fl',21 9 Sussmannn July 17; 1928'. 1,770,859 Nebel; July 15, 1930iv 1,826,660: Haines Oct. 6, 1931i 11990988 Gastrichi. Reba-12,1935: 

